Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Hi everyone! I'm so proud to show you my first post as part of Team Elevation! I adore Lulu's amazing polishes (I have featured them here many times) and getting to show you guys new Elevation Polish collections is just an honor. Today I'm going to show you some swatches of the upcoming A Journey Told Through Music Collection that will be released on January 7. This collection is a very personal one for Lulu and is inspired by songs that bring back memories of certain times and journeys during her life. She has a wonderful blog post describing the specific inspirations for all of these polishes, so be sure to check that out!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Hi everyone! Today I have my super lazy Christmas manicure to share with you and I figured I should share it before December is officially over. I wanted to do some sort of art but I was dead tired after working all day and then baking for a few hours, so all I did were a few lazy swipes with a striper brush. I started off with two amazing polishes from Glam Polish, Coven (red) and Conjuring (green). I've been planning on wearing these together at Christmas for ages! They are so beautiful and take 2 easy coats for full coverage. Then I used a Color Club white nail art striper to make my random lines. For being ridiculously simple, it also looks really nice I think.

If you haven't tried any of these Glam Polishes, they are all amazing and I want ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COLORS of this particular sort of finish that she makes (and I have quite a few already).

Glam Polish is available from their Big Cartel shop (ships to Australia and the US only) as well as from these international stockists. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and restocks as well as to see lots of beautiful swatches! Thanks for looking everyone!

Zoya is starting off 2015 with new additions to their Naturel line and these look intriguing. I always like that Zoya is pushing the envelope with new finishes for their line. The colors of these are so great too...neutral but not all nude!

The next generation of Zoya Naturel is almost here! Introducing, Zoya Naturel Satins, a collection of six new, neutral nail polish colors in an ultra-wearable, low-sheen, chic satin finish. A hybrid between matte and glossy polishes, the new Zoya Satin* formula provides opaque coverage and is longer lasting than traditional matte shades. The flawlessly smooth finish hides imperfections and creates a luxurious, satin finish nail look.

·ZP782/Leah: Lavender tinged taupe, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

·ZP779/Rowan: Creamy suede taupe, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

·ZP781/Sage: Mossy sage green, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

·ZP778/Tove: Misty slate grey, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

·ZP780/Brittany: Rose mauve cream, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

·ZP783/Ana: Light toasted almond, exclusive Zoya Satin* finish.

*Zoya Satin is not intended to be worn with a top coat. For best results: Prep nail with Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover, apply base coat and finish with 2 thin coats of any Zoya Satin Nail Polish.

AVAILABLE 01/15/15!ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!$9 (US), Available in top salons, spas and on zoya.com

WANT MORE?

COMING SOON - Zoya Satin Seal Topcoat!Turn any color into an elegant Satin finish beauty with just one coat!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Hi everyone! Long time, no see! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday! I took a little time off from blogging this week to bake, spend time with family, and read. It was fantastic! I'm back today with The Bright Lights Big City Collection from FingerPaints. This collection is limited edition and will be available from Sally Beauty Supply starting January 1 and should be around until the end of February. This collection contains 6 new shades including 2 glitter toppers, one jelly microglitter, and 3 glassfleck duochromes.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Hi everyone! I apologize for not posting as much lately, but I've been super busy preparing for Christmas! I've been wearing Orly Mirrorball for the past 3 days because I haven't had time to fool with my nails, but gah, it is really nice! Mirrorball is from Orly'sHoliday 2014 Sparkle Collection. There is a reason it is so popular this season!

Orly Mirrorball is a silver linear holo with silver holo microglitter. This polish is blingy to the extreme! It sort of freaked my camera out, but you can see the holo glitter sparkling through at all times. Formula is very nice and builds up easily in 3 thin coats. It is an amazing polish, and I'm really impressed with Orly for bringing an awesome holo mainstream. I hope that they do more!

The Orly Sparkle Collection is available from their website as well as from authorized retailers (they carry Orly products at Sally Beauty and Ulta in my area).

What do you think of Mirrorball? I feel like it is one of the more popular holiday polish releases this year. Have you picked it up yet? Thanks for looking!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Hi everyone! Today I have the lovely Holiday 2014 from Enchanted Polish to share with you. After the May, June and July monthlies, I sort of got over the monthly "mystery polish" deal. I didn't get November or December's mysteries, but there were preview pictures of Holiday 2014 and I could not resist picking it up. I'm so glad I did, because it is now one of my absolute favorite Enchanted Polishes. It doesn't seem to be getting a lot of love because a lot of people really loved November and December, but it was the standout to me. This polish was a limited release, so unfortunately it will not be available again to purchase.

Enchanted Polish Holiday 2014 has an deep olive green base with a coppery red/gold/green multichrome shift and linear holo flame. I think this might be the same pigment that is used in Enchanted Polish I am the Walrus, but in a green base (or at least that is what it looks like to me). The formula was great and had full coverage in 2 easy coats. I think this polish is just stunning and I'm so glad I decided to pick it up.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Hi everyone! I recently received one of Born Pretty Store's newer stamping plates to try out. Born Pretty Store plate 10 (Starfish and Shell Theme) is primarily one large ocean-inspired image. The image is very ornate and abstract in nature with lots of stamping area to choose from. For this mani, I stamped from various parts of this image with gold (China Glaze 2030) over my base (Darling Diva Polish Tina the Labradorite). There are also a few small images on the plate that could be used nicely as accent art with the larger image. The image was well engraved and stamped very clearly, which is imperative for such a detailed design. Overall it's a very artistic plate that I really enjoyed!

Be sure to check out Born Pretty Storefor all of your nail art supply needs (you can use my coupon code JCX31 for 10% off your order). I've always had great experiences with ordering from them at very reasonable prices. Also, you can't beat free worldwide shipping! You can also follow Born Pretty Store on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for looking everyone!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Hi everyone! Per usual, I'm behind on a challenge. I actually have skipped a few days, but I DID do the Glitter prompt for Challenge Your Nail Art's 12 Days of Christmas Challenge on the right day and everything, it's just taken me this long to actually post it. For this mani, I started off with a base of Darling Diva Polish's The Arcanist. Next, I used one of my favorite Christmas glitters ever, Darling Diva Polish A Christmas Story. Finally, I finished the mani off with some gold stamping using China Glaze 2030 and a design from the MoYou-London Fashionista plate 07. I don't think this is necessarily a holiday design, but with the color combination that I used I felt like it looked like really elegant Christmas wrapping paper or something. Definitely not my straightest stamping job, but it wasn't that noticeable in real life. I actually wore this for a few days and I got tons of compliments on it.

I will add the InLinkz for the other ladies that completed this challenge soon! Thanks for looking everyone!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Hi everyone! Today I have November's Sweet Addictions Box to share with you. The theme of this box is Gemstones, so each polish is inspired by a gorgeous jewel. This box was released in November, but there are still some available in Cupcake Polish's shop, so be sure to grab one while you still can!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Hi everyone! For today's Challenge Your Nail Art prompt, the theme was Christmas Ornaments. I decided to pull out a design that I adore from the Bundle Monster's holiday set, BM-H03. This plate has a gorgeous design of some antique looking ornaments. I started off with a base of Pahlish Emerald Cedars and then stamped the design using Darling Diva Polish Diamond. For the accent nails, I used Girly Bits A Twinkle in Time (from December's A Box, Indied). All of these polishes are so pretty and I just loved the way they all came together in this mani!

Be sure to check out what the other ladies have come up with for today! Thanks for looking everyone!

Hi everyone! Today I have a gorgeous new holo to show you from KBShimmer in Pantone's new Color of the Year for 2015, Marsala. Marsala has caused a great deal of chatter in the nail community and it seems like a lot of people aren't that pleased with it after the vibrant colors of the past few years (Tangerine Tango (2012), Emerald (2013), Radiant Orchid (2014)), but I think it will be a nice neutral-ish color for fashion. I didn't know if I would like a nail polish in the Marsala range, but KBShimmer certainly changed my mind about that.

KBShimmer Men are from Mars-ala is a red-brown linear holo. The formula is really nice and creamy with a beautiful holo flame. This is 2 easy coats of Men are from Mars-ala. This shade is really flattering on my skintone (and I think it would look nice on many skintones) and it's so rich and lovely. It sort of reminds of me of a darker terra cotta. If you were on the fence about Marsala, I really think that KBShimmer makes a convincing argument for its beauty with this polish.

Men are from Mars-ala will be releasing on KBShimmer.com on 1/1/15. KBShimmer products are available from their website as well as from Harlow & Co. (Canada) for international customers. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and to see swatches of all of their polishes.

What do you think about Marsala? I know there are a lot of opinions about it right now, but I think I'm definitely going to be more open-minded to it after seeing this polish. Thanks for looking everyone!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Hi everyone! I'm like...a day behind at LIFE this week but I DID do the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge prompt from Challenge Your Nail Art yesterday, and it is actually inspired by the song the 12 Days of Christmas. We actually had a thread where we were all discussing what day we were going to represent with our mani and the poor drummers needed a little love, so I decided to take them on. I knew there was absolutely no way I was actually going to do 12 of ANYTHING on my nails, so I just did the number 12 with some holly berries/leaves and then a few drums and drumsticks. Not my best work for sure, but you get the idea (I was so tired when I did this). The gorgeous base I used for this design is Pahlish Sinister Puddle from their limited edition Doctor Who Collection (which is being restocked for the last time tonight).

PS: Don't mind my creative use of watermark to try to cover up my knife wound! Stupid paring knife is stupid. I didn't figure you guys wanted to see all dat...so it was the best I could do! :)

Here are some more pics of Pahlish Sinister Puddle. It's a gorgeous smoky taupe with red shimmer and silver flakes. Formula is perfect and it is fully opaque in 2 coats (or 3 thin coats). Pahlish made me love taupes, and this is just one example of why. Such a unique and beautiful polish!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Hi everyone! I've got some fabulous Indigo Bananas polishes to share with you today! I'm always so impressed with how creator Andrea works with different pigments/flakes/glitters and such to really take them to a whole new level in her polishes (and often in ways I've never seen them used). Here I've got a variety of polishes from her recent releases to share with you, so let's get on to pics!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Hi everyone! For today's Challenge Your Nail Art prompt, we had to use icy blue and white colors, so the mani possibilities were endless. I recently picked up my first Fair Maiden Polishes during their Black Friday sale, and I grabbed Sleigh Bells in the Snow, a stunning white shimmer polish. I knew I wanted to use it as my base and I really wanted to highlight it instead of cover it up, so I went with a blue waterfall mani (inspired by the Nailasaurus). I used Zoya Blue, Zoya Prim, and Orly Snowcone to make the waterfall art. I thought this had a very frozen,icicle feel to it. And gah, Fair Maiden Polish Sleigh Bells in the Snow is just wonderful! There are blue shimmery bits in there a some scattered holo that adds a ton of depth and sparkle. I must say I'm impressed so far with this brand! I have several more that I picked up that I will be reviewing soon.

Be sure to check out what the other ladies have for today's Blue and White Challenge! Thanks for looking everyone!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Hi everyone! Today I have CrowsToes' contribution to January's A Box, Indied to share with you. The theme of this box is "New Debts, New Diets, New Polish!" and this polish fits right in with that theme. Lauri told me that she wanted to create a glitterbomb using all coin-colored glitters and that is just what she did. These boxes will go on sale towards the end of December (keep watch on Llarowe's Facebook page for exact dates and times because I'm not sure if/how the holidays will affect the timing of the restock).

CrowsToes Overtime 'Till Springtime is a clear-based glitter topper filled with copper, silver, and gunmetal metallic and holo glitters. The formula was very nice and spread well with great glitter distribution. I chose to pair it with two different bases, the dark green to go with the "money" theme and the purple just because I thought it paired so well. I can see this looking nice over a variety of base colors though since metal colors are pretty neutral and go with everything. Another winner in the CrowsToes glitterbomb department!

1 coat over OPI Planks A Lot

1 coat over Illamasqua Rampage

A Box, Indied is available from Llarowe for $50 each. Each box contains 5 polishes and/or products that are exclusive to that box and will not be available individually. You can sign up to receive a box each month or you can purchase the boxes individually when they are released. Follow Llarowe's Facebook page for announcements of exact dates and times of releases (the box for the next month is usually released around the end of the previous month.) She will also give previews of the products and makers that will be in the box (there is a rotation of makers that are included, it isn't always the same). Thanks for looking everyone!

Friday, December 5, 2014

Hi everyone! For today's Challenge Your Nail Art prompt, we had to do Snowmen, and I went back to my old faithful stamping. I was going to do a hand painted snowman, but I was inspired by Jessica from Be Happy and Buy Polish to pull out one of my old Color Club glitters from several years ago and this mani somehow evolved from there. I started out with a base of OPI You're Such a Budapest. Next I used a make-up sponge and randomly sponged on Color Club Jingle Jangle and Orly Mirrorball. Finally I stamped over the whole thing with Bundle Monster plates BM-323 (snowflakes) and BM-318 (snowman) using Mundo de Unas White. I really loved everything about this mani! I always love it when Canadian Nail Fanatic does stamping over glitters because they are so pretty shining through, and that is just how this one was. There were flashes of glitter sometimes, then flashes of holo. The colors maybe are a little different for winter (periwinkle?) but it still looks wintry.

Be sure to check out what the other ladies have for Snowman day! Thanks for looking everyone!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Hi everyone! For today's Challenge Your Nail Art 12 Days of Christmas prompt, we are all doing our take on Christmas trees. For my mani, I did a version of Nailside's Abstract Christmas Tree Tutorial. I started with a base of Elevation Polish Tre Cime di Lavaredo and let it dry completely. Then I taped off my design using striping tape and painted on Literary Lacquers A Thousand Christmas Trees (perfect polish to use, eh?) Then removed the striping tape and added a dot of Smitten Polish Nose So Bright at the top of each tree. I topcoated my design after I let it dry for several minutes to avoid smearing. I used 3 thin coats of Literary Lacquers A Thousand Christmas Trees on all of my other nails to finish off my look. I thought these turned out perfectly and I was really proud of how well all of the polishes worked together for this look. Tape manis always look so difficult, but they are usually pretty easy to pull off.

Don't forget to check out what all of the other lovely ladies have done today! Thanks for looking everyone!